


Intentions of the Heart

by StarkTony1



Category: The Mallorca Files (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Miranda is the best, max is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28739133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarkTony1/pseuds/StarkTony1
Summary: Max is an idiot in love, but will they ever act on their feelings? With an arson attack on a bar and two victims found, it's a race against the clock before things outside the bedroom heat up for Max and Miranda
Relationships: Miranda Blake/Max Winter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

Miranda Blake, furious as ever, stomped down S’Arenal with her partner, Max Winter, running desperately behind her.

“Stop…Mirandaaaa….hey Blakey stop!” Max whined as she kept moving. She was fast when she ran and clearly that also ran to her walking speed too.

He finally caught the ends of her jacket and gripped tight, pulling his compañera close.

“Hey!” she struggled, “Get off- Max!”

“Nope. Not until you tell me what made you storm away like you had been scolded by Inés!”

Miranda struggled again, “let me go!” she snapped before huffing, “please just, let me go Max”.

Max sighed and relented, fearing she would run off again and their game of cat and mouse would continue. But to his relief, Miranda just straightened her jacket.

“That man, the obnoxiously loud British tourist” she started.

“Uh which one, there are a lot” Max laughed and gestured to the many tourists that were whizzing by them, oblivious to their domestic, locked in their worlds of hen nights and stag dos.

Miranda nodded to one in a bright pink Hawaiian shirt, “him”.

“Ah okay, uhm, do you know him?”

“Yes”.

“Oh…is he….an ex?- Ow!” Max whined as Miranda hit his arm in disgust.

“No he is not an ex! Well, not in that sense, he’s my ex boss…old DI…DI Stern”.

“Well why don’t we go and say hi- hey excus-“ Miranda tugged him close and pressed a finger to his lips.

“You dare get his attention and you won’t be able to play scrabble for months. And I am not talking about hiding the scrabble board. Understand?” she hissed.

Max gulped and nodded, “Ja sure I understand”.

“He’s the one responsible for why I got transferred to Palmer’s section”.

“Oh?”

Miranda risked a glance at the shirt and saw he had moved on so she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Miranda, are you going to tell me why you got transferred?”

“I had 6 months off” she said and moved down towards where he had parked his car.

“For the love of” Max muttered and hurried after her, “6 months off…what did you do?”

“Hit him with a brick”.

“What?!” Max exclaimed and grabbed her hand, “You what? You hit him? Miranda-“

“He attacked me first!” Miranda snapped, “and anyway, I only hit his nose. Bastard moved out of the way and got me suspended. Whilst he got a promotion and extra pay. I got demoted and transferred”.

“Demoted?”

Miranda shrugged off his question, “look if he’s on holiday here I don’t want to see him or think about that he is here. Okay?”

“Okay” he agreed and opened the car door for her, “what? I am being nice” he moaned as she frowned at his chivalry.

“I can see that” she remarked, “you don’t need to I can open a door Max”.

“I know. I just don’t want to get hit by a brick. You are quick and I don’t think I could get out of the way quick enough” he laughed and she snorted.

“I promise you Max if you ever do need to be hit by a brick it won’t be because you didn’t open a door for me”.

Max nodded, “good” before shutting the door and running to jump in beside her, “okay so we have scoped S’Arenal, where’s next on Inés magical mystery tour?”

“Joans” Miranda said looking at her list.

“For real?”

“Yes” she said and locked her phone as Max tried to look, she eyed him curiously, “it’s Carmen’s birthday?”

“Ah. Schiesse” Max groaned and face planted his steering wheel. Miranda half laughed, “Max didn’t you spend the night with her?”

Max turned his head and looked at Miranda, “no…we uhm, well we are taking things very slow” he sat back against his seat and groaned, “now she will end it with me for sure”.

Miranda frowned and reached for her bag, “no she won’t” she stated before handing Max a present wrapped in gold and dark blue paper.

Max looked at her, “Miranda w-what’s…what’s this?”

“It’s a present, for Carmen. Your present”.

“Miranda I can’t accept this-“

“Yes you can, I’ll get her a gift token for her favourite clothes shop”.

“n-No no i-“

Miranda kept it firmly in his hands when he tried to give her the gift back, “no Max. If you really want to get back into Carmen’s good books and stay in a relationship with her, then you need to give her this”.

“What is it?”

“It’s a special edition book of poems by Pablo Neruda, her favourite poet” Miranda added when Max looked at her blankly.

“This will get me a lot of brownie points” he muttered and turned the present over.

“Yep”.

“Are you sure? Because I could just-“

“The shops are all shutting Max…come on, this is your sort-of-girlfriend, not mine”.

“How did you even know she liked Pablo Neruda?”

Miranda shrugged, “she mentioned she liked his poems when you went to the loo at the Opera last week”.

“Oh okay…she never told me that, at least I don’t know if she did”.

Miranda placed a hand on his, “She’ll love it, now unless you actually drive, she won’t get a chance to love it”.

* * *

It was very late when Miranda heard a knocking at her door. A loud, very agitated knocking. She manoeuvred her way through her boxes of stuff, mentally thinking that she would and should unpack tomorrow morning before work.

“Okay hang on I’m coming” she yelled to the mysterious knocker. She yelped as she stubbed her toe. Hopping over to her door she was surprised to see a dishevelled Max. He smelt ever so strongly of booze and slightly of cigarette smoke.

“Max? What are you doing here? I thought you and Carmen would be…” Miranda trailed off and smirked and nodded at him.

“What? You thought a book of stupid poems would get me sex?” he spat and moved into her apartment. Producing the book of poems and slamming it on her countertop.

Miranda rolled her eyes at Max’s dramatics, she shut her door and turned her coffee machine on.

“Well, I was hoping you might at least repair part of your relationship, coffee?”

“Beer”.

“Fraid I’m all out of beer, it’s coffee or water if you are intent on having this domestic at this time of night. And by the smell of you, you don’t need any more alcohol” she remarked with a raised eyebrow and a fold of her arms. Only slightly conscious that she was in her pyjamas in front of Max.

“Fine” he muttered, “coffee”.

Miranda grabbed two cups down from her shelf and looked at Max, “so why are you here snapping at me then?”

“She found out” he stated, glaring at her, “she found out that it wasn’t _my_ present…that it was _yours_ ”.

“Oh, well did you expla-“

“She said _how can I be with a man who doesn’t even remember my birthday!”_ he yelled.

Miranda poured them both a coffee and shrugged, she handed over the coffee to Max whilst blowing on hers, “well you did forget and –“.

“She dumped me Miranda! She ended things with me because of your stupid book of poems!” he cried out and tossed his coffee to the floor.

Miranda flinched at the sudden noise, coffee splashed up her cupboards as shards of mug fell across the floor.

She looked in dismay at the mess before glaring at Max, “Carmen dumping you because _you_ forgot her birthday is hardly my fault Max!” she put her mug down and shoved him ever so gently towards her sofa.

Max grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, “everything was good, it was brilliant between Carmen and I until _you_ came along! Everything was perfect!”

Miranda tried to pull free but found, that despite all looks of it, Max was strong.

“Hey stop pinning this all on me! You dated her for a year and barely opened up to her! Did you even tell her about your Mama?! No! And I bet you never even told her about that night in Cazador!”

Max shoved her to one side, “there was no night in Cazador! What you- what you think you saw, whatever _you_ felt was one sided Miranda!”

“It was not one sided and you know it! Don’t you dare say it wasn’t one sided! I stayed in Mallorca because of _you_ Max. You made it so much better, you cared about me and have been the first one to do so for a very long time. So don’t you _dare_ say what we had in Cazador was one-sided” Miranda snapped. Tears welled in her eyes and she furiously rubbed them away.

“Then why didn’t you say anything?!”

“Because of Carmen! She’s my friend Max and I didn’t want to hurt her!”

“Oh and so letting me carry on being – on-“ Max spluttered and glared once more at her, “you should’ve told me”.

“Telling you that I have feelings for you and quiet possibly love you, yeah sure. That would’ve worked” Miranda gestured wildly. She turned towards her coffee and walked to it, needing to get away from Max and his miserable behaviour.

“You are welcome to stay here, I’ll get you a blanket. Sleep off this foul mood of yours”.

She downed her coffee and turned, to see Max behind her. She tried to judge his mood, guess what he would do next.

But never in a thousand guesses could she have prepared for Max’s lips to connect with hers.

Moving her back towards her countertop, he lifted her onto it and deepened the kiss. Pulling her hips close to his, as he explored her mouth. Slipping his tongue against hers. She moaned into his body. Gripping his shirt tightly, she pulled him closer and whimpered as his hands slipped up her shorts.

Squeezing her thighs, he lifted her onto his waist, he stepped backwards as she fumbled to get Max out of his jacket.

Almost instantly, Max’s jacket fell to the floor as he stumbled over a box of her belongings. They crashed to the sofa, falling down to the floor. With Max above Miranda.

He breathed slowly, purposefully, as his eyes traced her. Miranda, still gripping his shirt let him go.

“I-i” he started, “Miranda i-“

“Don’t” she began, “don’t try and apologise or make it seem like you didn’t want this Max” she whispered.

He stroked her face, brushing the hair that had fallen out of place, “how could I pretend that I don’t want you?” he whispered, “how could I ever pretend that ever again? I have ached, for months over you. You are right, Cazador i-Schatz…I would’ve i-I-“

“It doesn’t need saying” she said softly, covering his hand with hers.

“It warrants to…my head…Schiesse I will have a headache tomorrow” Max said and leaned back.

He moved back and held out a hand to help Miranda stand and smiled as she took it.

He pressed his lips to her cheek and murmured close, “I promise to be a good man for you Schatz”.

Miranda blushed, “yeah well, just because we just…we…you are still sleeping on the sofa”.

“My bed’s only a single” she added.

Max laughed softly, “I helped you move in, it’s a double”.

“Yeah well you came here all grumpy, broke my mug and had a go”.

“I also kissed you very nicely…I think I deserve the bed” he muttered and stroked the backs of her thighs.

“Mmm, you did…” she smiled and straightened his shirt, “but don’t think you can get into my bed quite so quickly…and there is the matter of Carmen”.

Max let his hands drop, “ja”.

“It’s probably not a good idea for us to be…doing…that…not at least for a while”.

Max sighed, “ja…I guess… one more kiss though? To keep me warm?” he tilted his head and smiled at her.

Miranda chuckled, “the coffee is still warm in the machine. That’ll keep you warm”.

She moved to leave him but stopped as he held her wrist. Gentler than he had before and he traced her pulse with his fingers.

“Not as warm as your lips will”.

Miranda huffed but leaned close, keeping his gaze fixed to her before she kissed his cheek and smiled at his pout.

“There. One kiss. Now good night, Max Winter” she stated and moved away from his grip.

“Hey you cheated!” he laughed.

“You said one more kiss, you never specified where” she remarked and leaned against the doorway to her room.

Max laughed and shook his head, “no I guess I did not”.


	2. Chapter 2

Max woke up early, even with a night of drinking under his belt, he still managed to wake with not so much of a hangover.

He glanced around at his surroundings and realised he was in Miranda’s apartment. He tugged his blanket off and sat up. Memories of last night crashed over him, like a bitter cup of coffee. _Carmen, breaking up with him. Taking his anger out on Miranda. Her lips, her thighs, pulling her close. Her kissing him back just as urgently._

Max turned his head and looked at the doorway to her room, she was still asleep, covers pulled up close so that all he saw was the top of her head.

A quick glance at the clock told him it was still early, 6 am. He could make her breakfast, prove that he was worth a risk, and maybe even staying in her bed next time.

He stood and winced as he swayed. His eyes adjusting to the Mallorcan sunshine. It was still early but it was always breathtaking.

Slowly, he made his way across to her kitchenette and cursed as he stood on the shards of coffee mug. The ones from the mug he smashed the night before.

“Schiesse” he muttered and bent down, he picked up the biggest shards before hunting for a dustpan to sweep up the smaller ones. Last thing he wanted to do was cut Miranda’s feet.

She’d kill him if her running was interfered with.

“Max?”

Max looked up and half smiled at Miranda standing in the doorway, “you okay?” she asked.

“Ja I-i uh I was going to make you breakfast and then remembered the mug”.

Miranda nodded and shrugged, “eggs are in the basket, I’m going for a shower”.

“You keep your eggs in a basket? Not the fridge?” he asked, incredulously.

“Of course” she replied and moved into her bathroom.

Max half whined at the thought of Miranda in the shower, so close and yet off bounds to him.

He binned the shards he had swept up in the dustpan before setting his eyes on the eggs.

* * *

Once she had finished her shower, Miranda made quick work of dressing for work and making sure she looked respectable.

The smells coming from her kitchen were like nothing that she’d smelt before. Despite his bravado, Max was good at cooking. She looked into the kitchen and smiled at Max still fiddling around with breakfast. His back was to her, and she thought, if they were in a relationship, how good it would be to walk up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist.

Of course if they were in a relationship, she was sure Max would’ve joined her in the shower and a lot less breakfast would be made and a lot more fun would’ve been had.

“Smells good” she announced as she approached him.

Max smiled at her, “it’s to say thank you and I am sorry for being a jerk last night. You were trying to help me out when I didn’t deserve it”.

“Well that’s good”.

“It is?”

“I thought you were going to be sorry about us kissing”.

Max flushed, shaking his head with a grin that would’ve had schoolkids deemed more mature than him.

“I won’t ever be sorry for kissing you” he stated, “I made omelette with mushrooms and some of those weird looking bacon things”.

“Those weird looking bacon things, are just streaky bacon Max” she laughed, “but it smells really good. Did you add anything to it?”

“Ja few spices, salt and pepper, adds flavour and with your lack of food in the kitchen…it’s the best out of bad amount of food”.

She smiled, “and coffee?”

“Well, if you heat up milk, froth it up and add it to that fancy coffee you have…you can make cappuccinos at home”.

“You made cappuccinos?”

“I am a man of many talents, born only to please you” he murmured as he handed her a cup.

Miranda flushed and sat at her table.

“You know, if I had stayed in your bed, I still would’ve made you breakfast” he smiled and sipped his drink, “of course that is if we weren’t otherwise occupied”.

Miranda smiled softly and looked at their breakfast, “let me try your cooking, then we can discuss other skills”.

Max grinned, “I am sure I will impress you when the time comes”.

* * *

With breakfast over and done with, the stark realisation that unless they got a move on, not only will be late for work, but Max’s clothes from the day before and Miranda walking in with him, might lead to insinuations.

Insinuations that Miranda really didn’t have the energy for.

“So, I’ll go back to my place, grab some fresh clothes and then meet you back here in half an hour or so?”

“Sounds good to me” she replied and stood, at the same time, Max stood and they bumped dishes. She laughed and looked up at him, only to find Max’s penetrating gaze locked onto her.

“Or” he whispered, “you could come with me now?”

“People will see-“

“People will see me coming out of your apartment, surely you are not afraid of what the guys at work will say? They bet on this more than they listen to Inés”.

Miranda turned to move away from Max but found his hands on the plates. He gently pulled them away from her and laid them back down on her table.

“Max-“

“Shhh” he whispered and cupped her cheeks, “let me kiss you again”.

It wasn’t a question, nor was it an order, but Miranda felt compelled to nod, eyes all the while, on Max’s.

Max smiled and leaned in close, her eyes fluttered shut, “Max” she began with a smile. Max chuckled and kissed her cheek and moved to the door.

“What?” he laughed, “I didn’t say where”.

“Oh you better run Max Winter” she laughed and chased him out of her apartment, “I’ll get you back for that!” she called after him, despite the laughter in her voice.

“ _Ja sure you will!_ ” Max yelled back.

* * *

Miranda was sat waiting in his car when he emerged from his apartment, dressed and ready for another day of work.

“Ahhh Schatz, I was wondering where you got to” he smiled at her.

“Had to give you some time to get ready, don’t you usually take an hour?”

“Hey!” he laughed, “I do not take an hour”.

“Mmm certainly took your time” she smiled at him. Running her gaze up and down his body, Miranda relished in the effect she had on Max.

“Hey you can’t check me out like that!” he protested.

She smirked, “I’m just looking, it’s a free country, Inés phoned, she said we’re wanted. Which sounded dubious”.

“Always does with Inés, where?”

“Oh her favourite place”.

“Again?” Max groaned, “I hate walking up s’Arenal, I stood in vomit the other week”.

“A bar got torched last night, two people died”.

“Arson?” Max asked as he jumped into the car.

“Yep. The bodies were founded together, early reports indicate that they were tied up”.

“Schiesse. That’s an awful way to die. Any ideas on who they are?”

“Not yet…although the barman is missing and presumed to be one of the two”.

“At least it’s a murder and not a jaunty walk” he smiled.

“You have a warped sense of what’s good Max”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've really missed writing these two goons


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up, an arson, two bodies, what just happened that night?

Max smiled across at Miranda as she examined the remains of the bodies. They were sat back to back, shreds of clothing now melted the two together. The heat had been intense, so intense that the bodies were unidentifiable. Despite the horrors of the scene, Miranda was diligently scanning for clues. Doing what she did best, seeing the things he couldn’t. Miranda suddenly looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, “what?”

“Nothing” he smiled.

“Max” she started, “if-“

“Yes, Detective Winter, please refrain from distracting Detective Blake. I would not want to have to separate you both. I did see some vomit outside that needs cleaning” Inés stated.

Max’s eyes shot to his notes, “got it. Sorry”.

“Mmm” Inés replied, before muttering something that sounded a lot like _you better be_.

Miranda stood, clutching her tweezers and a very fine hair between the prongs.

“It seems we’ve got our first clue”.

Max approached her and opened an evidence bag for her to drop the hair into, “we can get this across to Rico for analysis, see if there’s any evidence”.

“I always thought hair burnt if it caught fire…these two bodies, if they had some hair or DNA evidence on them, the fire would’ve burnt it away”.

“What colour is it? Could it be yours?” Max asked and squinted through the bag to see.

“Too long for a start” Miranda said and looked at the hair, “who was the first on the scene? Once the fire had been put out that is?” she asked Inés.

“It would’ve been one of the firemen, to check if the building was structurally secure” Inés replied and looked at her phone, seemingly bored with the lack of flirting on Miranda and Max’s part. She eyed them both with a raised eyebrow, “well go on then, investigate. I have an ex-husband to go argue with”.

As Inés retreated out of the ruined bar, Miranda shot Max a look and mouthed _ex-husband?_

Max shrugged and then looked at the bodies, “what a way to die…tied, helpless”.

“That could’ve been us…” Miranda muttered softly, “if you hadn’t had my back”.

Max looked at her, her eyes lost in a memory he was desperate to rid himself of. The thoughts of Miranda, lost to him perhaps forever had spurred him on to check the warehouse.

“Yet here we are” he said and squeezed her shoulder, “come on, lets get a coffee and see if we can find out who was first on the scene. We have details from Roberto Francis, he called in the fire, apparently he could hear screaming and tried to enter. He’s at the hospital getting checked over”.

Miranda nodded and looked back at the bodies, something didn’t sit right with the scene, she just couldn’t quite work out what it was.

* * *

Max sipped his coffee, “so Ernesto Cruz, was first on the scene, fire chief and old flame of Inés-“

“What?!”

“Kidding” Max laughed at Miranda’s shocked face.

She shook her head and glared, “don’t you joke about that, I would’ve asked her-“

“What he was like in bed? I thought you only went for strapping German men” Max grinned.

“Well, as I’ve yet to find out what that’s like, I can’t say that”.

Max laughed, “ja that yet is not a no. One day Schatz I will have your toes curling in anticipation of a night in my arms…or have you against the wall”.

Miranda rolled her eyes, “you are so very full of yourself and assuming that I would let you lead”.

“Well I am a man” he stated.

“Are you?” she asked, innocently, “I never would’ve guessed”.

“I mean, didn’t you-“

“Didn’t I what?” she smiled sweetly, “Ernesto Cruz, fire chief was first on scene if we don’t count Roberto Francis. He saw the bodies and realised it was arson, not some warped twisted suicide pact. Better ways to die that by fire. Especially if you’re trapped and allegedly screaming for help”.

Max shook his head at her dismissal but he was bemused all the same, if she wanted to play, so shall he. Slipping his foot free from his shoe, he casually ran it up the back of her calf, all the while keeping an interest in his notes.

“Ja, so Francis goes to check, gets burnt and can’t help. Fires too hot to get to the screaming people, although I would’ve thought at that point they would be unconscious because of the smoke. Did Cruz say where the fire originated?”

Max yelped suddenly and banged his knee on the table as Miranda grabbed a hold of his ankle.

“If you would like to be able to as you so charmingly put it, _have me against the wall_ , I think you might need both legs in working order…don’t you?”

Max whimpered as her fingers grazed his calf, “Miranda-“

“So, are you going to remove your foot or –“

“I will” he stated and breathed a sigh of relief as she let him go, putting his shoe back on he then looked up at her and grinned, “so I can have you against the wall then?”

* * *

Ernesto Cruz, was an aging fire-chief. In charge of Mallorca’s fire department, he always felt a great deal of pain when he entered buildings ravaged by fire only to find bodies lurking in the remains. In his 40 years on the squad, he had never seen quite such violence as that of the bar he had spent the best part of the early hours trying to save.

The bodies were unidentifiable by a glance, dental records would need to be done to discover who these unfortunate souls were.

Early reports had indicated that one of them was the barman, Joseph Manning. Some British boy who had come out to Mallorca for the Summer. He hoped not, by all accounts of his younger firemen, the barman was a nice lad, always gave them free drinks if they had come in off a shift.

“Sir?”

He glanced to his left and saw one of Mallorca’s infamous Detective Duos, only this wasn’t the pretty one, “Yes?”

“Hi my name is Max Winter, Detective Max Winter, might I ask you a few questions about last nights’ arson attack?”

“Sure thing, where is your partner?”

“Miranda? Oh she’s checking out a lead. And this won’t take long”.

Ernesto nodded and gestured for Max to sit opposite him.

“I always come here after a particularly nasty fire. Coffee?”

“No thanks” Max said but sat down opposite the man.

“I find myself here all too often these days…today though, that has to be the worst fire I have seen in my career”.

“Really? Why?”

“For starters the bodies. They were so stuck together, at first glance I thought it was one person. And the bar, it was so hot. How that man tried to get into the place I don’t know. Poor soul burnt his hands badly I presume?”

“He is at the hospital, but, you have worked on the force for 40 years? What made this one the worst. Surely you have seen bodies burnt by fire before? Aren’t you used to it?”

“Young man, I pray if you ever get _used to_ seeing a burnt body then you are in the wrong profession and quite possibly need therapy. The bodies are an unfortunate side effect of the job, but I was thinking about the furiousness of the fire. It was so hot, hotter than a normal fire I tell you. We knew straight away it was arson, no fire burns that hot without an arsenal. I would say petrol but it did not smell of it. No I would say paint thinner”.

“The bar upstairs was being repainted” Max stated, “could the left overs be used to exacerbate the fire?”

“Oh most definitely. And I tell you something else, that boy said he heard screams? Those two would’ve been unconscious from the smoke by the time he phoned. If he heard them, he wasn’t just passing by”.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda interviews Roberto Francis and not all is as it first seemed...

Miranda placed the plastic cup of coffee in front of Roberto Francis, wincing at his bandaged hands. He was tanned and short, clearly though, he had once been an attractive man.

“Thanks” he said softly.

“It’s not much, and it probably won’t taste that nice” she remarked before she sat opposite him and sipped her own.

“It’s caffeine” he replied with a shrug. Roberto grimaced, took the cup in his left hand and sipped the coffee.

“What brought you walking along the S’Arenal last night?”

There was a brief pause, before he answered, “habit”.

“I have lived half my life on this island…most of it spent in the fields, this time of year, the summers going, the nights are cooler, tourists are less… I go for a walk before work or after work. I-I do shifts over at the Manfred Pickers Fields and you sometimes get back really late. I don’t always want to go home straight away”.

“So, you walk?”

“I walk” he nodded and sipped his coffee, he winced and put it back down on the table.

“Are you okay?” Miranda asked.

“No…you are right, that is terrible coffee” he laughed and Miranda smiled.

“How did you notice the fire? I mean you said you were on a walk, but not many choose to go down S’Arenal, and not on a Sunday…all that left over vomit, beer cans… it was lucky you were there to raise the alarm.”

“I just go that way okay! It calms me down, reminds me that life goes on… besides, it’s a shortcut to my apartment. The nights there are a lot of people it brings me joy. The job I have it’s soulless, we do not communicate much with each other so I walk that way to see people. See a pretty girl, smile, get a free drink…” Roberto sighed, as though thinking of one pretty girl in particular before he considered Miranda’s initial question.

“I smelt it the fire, I thought it was odd, this time of year we don’t get many fires, except for idiots on the beach with their barbeques…but this was different, I knew that straight away, i-it it was…toxic…really strong like like... A-And I could hear crackling? Like bottles cracking and bursting…I suppose that was all the alcohol. Probably made things worse…”

Miranda nodded, “and you decided to investigate it first, rather than look around for help, or even phone for the fire department?”

“w-Well I could hear screams…thought I might be able to help…didn’t notice the flames till I got a bit closer. Once I got closer I saw a window was open but like it had been smashed by someone going out…maybe… and there was this shape…I guess it was the people trapped inside…i-I couldn’t…I tried to get to her, I -i yelled, I-I couldn’t-“ Roberto cut off, “Susannah did not deserve to die like that!” and bashed his hands on the table, yelping as his coffee spilt all over his trousers.

Miranda stood quickly, avoiding the same issue happening to her.

“Listen just calm down, you mentioned Susannah? Who-Was that one of the people screaming for help?”

“No no” he snapped his gaze to her, grabbing her hand, “I didn’t mean to- I-I I tried to save them, you have to understand I tried to save _them_ , but it was too strong, the flames the the smell…”.

“Roberto…did you know who was in there? The victims, could you give me names? Was one of the victims this Susannah? Was she a girlfriend of yours? A friend? A sister?”

Roberto looked around, darting his eyes suspiciously across the outpatients and tired junior Doctors’ that had permeated by the vending machines.

“Not here” he whispered, “I can’t i-I can’t- not here…n-no”.

Miranda nodded, “my partner, Max Winter, he’ll be over here in a few minutes. We can take you somewhere safe okay?”

Roberto looked at the coffee cups lying prone on the floor. Steadily dribbling out lukewarm coffee and he relinquished his grip on her hand.

Roberto stood and as Miranda grabbed her bag, he shoved her aside, running past her and towards the balcony that over looked the reception of the hospital.

Miranda had only a second to gather her senses before she heard the thud of Roberto’s body hitting the hospital floor.

* * *

Max arrived outside of the hospital to a gloomy looking Miranda. And police tape, cordoning off the entrance to the hospital.

“Uh oh, this does not look gooood” he remarked and smiled at her, “what did you do? Smile at the receptionist?”

“Roberto Francis is dead”.

“What?! But he only came in for his-“

“He committed suicide” Miranda stated, “we were talking and then suddenly he kept going on about how he tried to save the people in the bar and next thing I know he’s shoved me to the floor and he just jumped”.

“Schiesse…do you think maybe it was him? And he suddenly felt guilty and just…jumped?”

Miranda looked back at the hospital, before she looked at Max, “no” she stated, “there’s a team going to remove his body and make sure he hadn’t got anything he shouldn’t of in his blood stream. He said he worked shifts at Manfred Pickers Field. Maybe he was taking something or he had problems…there could be all manner of reason as to why he did this”.

“But?”

“But he didn’t have burns on his hands” she stated, “one of his bandages came lose upon impact. Whatever he was doing last night, might not have been murder, but he certainly wasn’t trying to save the victims. And there’s another thing, he let slip a name; Susannah? But when I asked if she was one of the victims, he clammed up. Kept reiterating that he tried to save _them_ ”.

“So our only lead the only possible lead, is dead”.

“Yep”.

“Inés is going to love us” Max sighed.

* * *

Inés did not love them, she glared most of the time at Max, as if Roberto Francis’ death was his fault, before reverting her glare to Miranda when she mentioned Susannah.

“And you did not think to press more for him? Ask for a photo of her? Your only so called lead is dead and you are in my office trying to come up with pathetic excuses!”

Max and Miranda looked at one another.

“Oh don’t look at each other for help, you” she snapped pointing at Max, “Ernesto Cruz?”

“Oh uh he well he said that Roberto couldn’t have heard the screaming because they would’ve been unconscious”.

“And you? Francis…you said he had no burn marks on his hands but he tried to help?”

Miranda nodded, “yes but-“

“No buts, I think it is quite clear that Roberto Francis set the fire and then upon realising that this Susannah was inside, felt remorse and killed himself”.

“Well-“

Inés glared at Miranda, raising an eyebrow, “well?”

“i-i just…I really don’t think it was him. There are holes in his story sure but, look, what if he could see that she was in there o-or she works there at nights and he goes in for a last minute drink. He saw the flames and tried to get in. Maybe he made up the part of them screaming for help because he felt guilty that he didn’t get there quick enough. Or he thought he could still save them?”

“I don’t buy it” Inés stated, “but if you still think that we have a murderer loose on this island, then by all means, run with it. However, I do not want to see you two in here again to tell me a suspect has committed suicide only for you then to tell me he wasn’t a suspect!”

Max and Miranda nodded and once Inés sat back at her desk, both bolted for the door.

As they approached their own desks, Max’s fingers played against hers, “can I cook you dinner?”

“What?”

“Dinner…wine…tonight?”

Miranda looked around the office and saw most officers in their own worlds of crime in Mallorca. Rico was the only one on their case and he was busy examining evidence found at the bar for any DNA. There had been little evidence on the bodies, and still no names to put to them.

She looked at Max and nodded, “don’t think this will end in sex Max”.

“Oh, I am a boy scout, you have my word that it will not”.

Miranda nodded but didn’t look convinced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roberto's dead? So did Cruz lie to Max or is there another suspect waiting to be found...


	5. Chapter 5

Max’s apartment was more chaotic than hers, even with the boxes still strewn about the place.

Miranda gratefully accepted a glass of wine from Max and smiled as he sat beside her.

“Tough day calls for a good vintage”.

“By your standards any day calls for a good vintage” Miranda replied and sipped her wine, “okay this is very good wine”.

“Ja told you. My Papa sent it over last month and given we are banned from the bar for a while I figured why not”.

“Banned or you’re too scared to go?”

“Oh the last one definitely. You think Joan is scary, Carmen is terrifying”.

“I think Joan is very caring” Miranda laughed, “any way, Carmen has every right to be”.

“Ja well…I am single now well, single ish” he finished and sipped his wine.

“Single ish?” she questioned with a wry look in her eyes, “did you invite me back to yours under false pretences Max?”

“Well I have actually got food in the oven, so I didn’t lie about that. And I think our relationship can certainly be defined as ish?”

Miranda chuckled and put her glass down, “I’ve told you, we need to consider Carmen. It’s not going to look good for either of us if the day after you break up you are straight into my bed”.

“Well actually my bed is here so _strictly speaking_ it would be you straight into _my_ bed”.

“Semantics Max” Miranda huffed, “I mean, Carmen is my friend. I don’t want to hurt her or jeopardise our friendship”.

“Okay how about this, you ask Carmen if she is okay with us?”

“She’s your ex! Why do _I_ have to ask her?”

“Yet you are the one who is so concerned” he smiled and stroked her cheek, “Miranda, _Schatz_ , Carmen knew about us before we knew about us. Heck I would think everyone we met knew about us before we did. I am okay with taking things slow, I really am. Just don’t fight it? Don’t fight us? And besides, we can still kiss right?”

“Well, _strictly speaking_ kisses can lead to all manner of things” Miranda whispered, heart in her mouth as Max put his glass to one side.

“Blakey” he growled and slipped a hand up her thigh, “I don’t think I heard a no” before he pulled her close, crushing his lips to hers.

* * *

Of all things in the world, his oven timer, broke their kiss apart. Miranda breathed heavily, her legs wrapped around Max’s waist as she urged his body that much closer to hers. Max’s hands slipped out of her shirt and he looked guiltily at her, “guess our kisses certainly lead to a lot more”.

Miranda nodded, “better check the food before it burns” she whispered and dropped her hold on Max. He got off the sofa and she sat up, wondering briefly just how Max had managed to undo her bra without her noticing, before she followed him to the kitchen.

He smiled at her, “it’s done, can you grab the plates?”

“Sure” she said, and their hands briefly touched as she reached past him. She flushed and he retracted his hand, “sorry” he replied and blushed as he looked at her, “your shirt isn’t buttoned up you know?”

Miranda looked down and cursed, “how did you manage that without me noticing?”

“Wasn’t me” he replied smiling, “you were unbuttoning to get me that much closer to your skin”.

Miranda flushed and turned her head, as the feeling of her own fingers darting angrily down her shirt, unbuttoning, letting Max’s hands closer. _Touching_ _her._

“You know when we do _do it_ ” he muttered in her ear as he plated the food up, his breath tickled her neck, “I fully intend to spend hours worshipping your body” he pressed his lips to her neck and bit gently. Miranda whimpered against his teeth. She placed the plates down as his hand moved from her thigh and further across her body.

“Max” she whimpered, “whilst I know you- shit whilst I know what you can….fuck” she muttered and turned her body so that his lips met hers again, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her up onto the kitchen counter, tossing her shirt to the other corner of the room they worked on his shirt.

She tossed it behind her as his lips hungrily met hers again, holding her body close to his, letting skin touch skin.

“I want you” he moaned against her lips, moving his own down her body, “so so much Miranda. It kills me to not worship you every day”.

“Steady” she breathed and toyed with the idea of undoing her bra and sending it somewhere into the mess that was his apartment.

He whined and gripped her thighs, “don’t deny me…please” he growled.

“Not denying” she whimpered as he unzipped her trousers, “just pausing” she breathed and her chest rose and fell as she tried to get her breathing under control, “I want this too. I do” she said and stroked his arm, “but we need to set rules…okay?”

“Okay” he grinned and kissed her.

“Max!” she protested and placed her hands on his chest, “if we do this tonight, we cannot tell anyone. Understand?”

“Okaay”.

“If Carmen finds out, we were very drunk”.

“But-“

“Max, I don’t want to upset her”.

“You won’t Schatz, really…you won’t”.

“How can you know that? Max look-“

“I know, because I told her I was in love with you”.

“W-what?”

Max sighed and stood back, “I gave Carmen her present and she immediately knew it was yours…i-I didn’t know what to do and she just told me we are done. A-And we drank, well I drank, Carmen just told me that you must be some woman to let me still pursue her even when I am in love with you and you with me”.

Miranda got off his countertop and approached him, “so you lied”.

“What?”

“You lied to me last night, you said you had an argument”.

“Oh ja, she yelled at me. Said I was an idiot, a bastardo, who fucks around…then she spoke very rapid Spanish which is still ringing in my ears…she said a book of poems won’t solve our problems. Me growing up would. So, we ended it, the only person I wanted to be with after that was you...it is _always_ you Miranda”.

“Oh” she whispered.

“Are you mad at me? F-For not telling you the whole story?” he looked at her, in the way that Max always did. With his big wide eyes, kicked puppy expression, that always had her weak at the knees.

In answer to his question, she took his hand and walked towards his bedroom.

* * *

Miranda woke up alone, clutching the sheets of Max’s bed as the sunlight warmed her bare back.

“Morning” Max smiled from the doorway and she rubbed her eyes. Startled at the sudden sight of Max in his boxers, she soon warmed up as she saw a tray of breakfast in his hands.

“Breakfast in bed?”

“Like I told you yesterday, I still would’ve made you breakfast after sex, hopefully, very good sex?” he asked and sat beside her.

Miranda rested her hand against his cheek and pulled him into a kiss, letting her tongue slip against his. Leaning close against his body as her fingers nimbly stole a piece of buttered toast with jam.

“Of course” she grinned at him.

“Cheat” he gasped and laughed, “you distracted me with your hot body”.

“Glad to know I have _such_ an effect on you Max”.

Max smiled and shook his head, “Schatz you always have an effect on me”.

Miranda gulped on her toast, flushing at his words.

“Oh you like that?” he grinned and put the tray down, straddling her, he bit down on her toast and grinned wolfishly at her.

She watched him swallow and suddenly flipped them over, “ohh Max, playtime is so over” she adjusted her position ever so slightly and heard a small whimper come from Max’s lips.

“I’m in charge now” she grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : O


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new suspect appears...

Max walked into work like the cat who got the cream, his grin was so wide it caused Inés to roll her eyes in a huff, “what has gotten you so happy this early Detective?” she asked, although regretted it the second the words left her mouth.

Miranda walked in with two coffees and definitely wearing the same clothes as the day before.

“Ohh _that_ has got you so happy” Inés grinned, “well Rico, you owe me big time, pay up”.

Miranda shot a look at Max who shrugged, “like you didn’t guess they had bets on us”.

“Well no, but I am surprised Rico lost”.

“Are you insinuating, Detective Blake, that I was going to be wrong?” Inés asked sweetly, from behind Miranda’s chair.

“No no Inés not at all…”

“Good. You have two red marks on your neck, did you know?”

“Max!”

“What? You seemed happy at the time”.

“I think distracted is the better word” she muttered and rubbed her neck.

“Oh ja that’ll remove them quicker” he grinned, “just let me rub the ones on your thighs”.

Before Miranda could fire off a witty retort, Max shrank in his glee at the glare Inés sent his way.

That woman was scary.

* * *

After a brief phone call, Rico was able to bring Max and Miranda a mixture of good and bad news.

Miranda looked at Max warily, “bad news first?”

“Well, the bad news is, this is my last job here. I have been transferred to Menorca Police Department. Apparently their pathologist is very ill and they need a replacement straight away. I have a few friends over there who I’ve not seen in a while so I figured a change would be good. Buuut the good news, I have identified one of the bodies”.

“Oh?”

“According to dental records it is one Señor Pablo Aldetorio. The owner of the bar”.

Miranda took the offered file and had a look at the notes, “know anything about him?” she asked Max and handed it over.

He glanced at the paper and ran the mans’ name through his computer, he shrugged when nothing appeared, “he’s clean- or rather he was clean…is it possible to have made a mistake with identifying?” Max asked Rico.

“Tests are 99.9% accurate. It’s him. Still working on the other victim. I found traces of chloroform in the lungs. Faint scratches of it but there. It looks like both victims were unconscious when the fire begun”.

“That’s what we keep hearing…doesn’t rule out one of them waking up and crying out for help though”.

“No but I have also found traces of some sort of fabric in the faces of both of the victims. They were gagged before they died”.

“Shit” Max breathed, “this murderer really wanted them dead then”.

“Well there is some good news then” Miranda said as she typed into her computer.

Rico and Max looked at her with curious expressions. She looked at them, “it means the boss didn’t do it for an insurance scam”.

Max rolled his eyes, “that only happens in the movies”.

“Not true, when I first started out in London, I had a new case of insurance fraud every week. Was starting to think I was in the wrong profession”.

* * *

“So, we know that one of the victims is the owner, RIP yada yada…but that _doesn’t_ explain why the barman has been missing. Nobody seems to have his number, I asked Ernesto Cruz about him…apparently his men were fans of that bar and the barman often gave them free drinks”.

“Got a name?”

“Joseph Manning” Max stated, “A Brit who came over here for the Summer, found a job and never went home”.

“Sounds like me”.

“No for you it was one look into my beautiful eyes and you were cursed to stay by my side” Max grinned.

Miranda elbowed his side, “shut up” she laughed.

“Oh please, remind me what did you do after Inés told you to go home? Oh that’s it, broke into my apartment and stared at me sleeping”.

“I entered your apartment to wake you up. It’s hardly my fault you were topless and have a good chest”.

Max laughed and hugged her waist, “I wasn’t topless”.

“Max!” Miranda laughed as he ran off down the now cordoned off S’Arenal.

She caught up with him with ease, however nearly found herself crashing into his back as he had stopped abruptly.

There was a man in a red hoodie with a man-bun, tossing a white rose onto the many tributes to the unknown victims that had been set up near the ruins of the bar. His bright blue trainers a stark contrast to the charred remains nearby.

“Excuse me?” Max called.

The man turned and looked at Max. He spotted Miranda and bolted.

“Oh for the love of” Max whined as Miranda took off after the man. Max followed on, knowing if anyone could catch this man, Miranda could.

* * *

Miranda slammed her body into the man, grabbing his hoodie and hauling his hands behind his back.

“Ow ow stop! Okay ow! I’m sorry I ran!”

“Why were you running?!”

“I thought you were Susannah!” the man whimpered.

“Susannah?”

“My ex…s-she was pissed at me the last time I saw her” he sniffed, “my names’ Joseph…Joseph Manning”.

“You’re the barman of Bar 43?”

“y-Yeah, the one that burnt”.

Miranda got off Joseph and helped him stand as Max caught up with them.

“What were you doing laying a rose?” she asked.

“I heard there were some bodies found…paying my respects…laying flowers, it’s what you do right? I-I probably know the victims…do has anyone said their names yet?”

“Where have you been?” Max asked, “people have been trying to contact you”.

“i-I turned my phone off” he admitted, “Susannah and I had a barney…I phoned in sick for work and that was that…last night was a day off so I spent my day up in the mountains…only came down cause I was due on tonight”.

“What’s Susannah’s last name?” Miranda asked.

“Dena” Joseph replied, “why? I-is she okay? Is something wrong?” he panicked and pulled his phone out, tapping at a contact he tried to ring the number.

Max shot Miranda a look.

 _I know_ she mouthed, “Mr Manning…we would like to ask you a few more questions down at the station, we can see if anyone has reported seeing your ex around the island from there” Miranda said as Joseph looked in dismay at his phone, going straight to the voice mail. The tinny voice of his ex, just audible against the backdrop of Mallorca.


	7. Chapter 7

Back at the station, Max and Miranda sat opposite Joseph Manning as he looked over what little evidence from the bodies had been found.

Sealed in plastic bags, all Joseph could do was look.

“This…” he muttered, “this looks familiar…it’s a button” he said and then glanced at a second item, “and this! My boss he had this watch on him wherever he went, it was old and never told the right time…but I would recognise it anywhere! Wait…he would never-“

Joseph cut off and looked at the Detectives, “my boss...he’s one of the victims isn’t he?”

“We believe so, from dental records, we were able to gather he had a go-“

“Gold tooth! Yeah, we all used to laugh and call him a pirate” Joseph whispered and sat back in his chair, “I did wonder why I had no call from him…”.

“We weren’t sure which item belonged to which victim” Miranda started, “but we were able to tell that the second victim was a woman”.

Joseph stared at Miranda, “n-No…s-she can’t be dead…she just can’t be!” he snapped, before welling up, “Susannah” he sniffed as sobs shook his body.

“Do you have any reason to believe it’s not her?” Max asked gently.

Joseph furiously wiped his eyes, “of course it’s her, she worked in the bar…it’s it’s how we met…it’s how she met _him_ ”.

“Him? Who’s that?” Miranda asked.

“Roberto Francis” Joseph spat the name like it was a disease, “he always came in late at nights…flirted with her. Flirted his way into our relationship! I told him to back off a-and and he wouldn’t. Last I saw him he said if he couldn’t have her nobody could”.

Max nodded at Miranda and left the room, Miranda sat up, “do you think Roberto did this?”

“I don’t see who else would. Susannah was Pablo’s cousin…or second cousin, it’s a very large family, he might’ve stayed late to protect her…walk her home maybe”.

“The bar was having work done, how many people knew about it?”

“Oh everyone…it was fundraised…the fire department helped too. Good men…They work so hard you know…my dad was a fireman…i-I give the men free drinks if they’ve had a bad shift. Dad always said it helped him forget the horrors…till he became the horror”.

Miranda looked up at Max in the doorway, “I think we’ve asked what we can, but can you leave a contact number in case we need anything else or need to update you on the second victim?” Miranda asked.

Joseph nodded and stood, “it’s not like it could be anybody but Susannah” he whispered but wrote his number down on the piece of paper Miranda had been writing her notes on.

Miranda looked at the man one last time and offered a sad smile to him.

He had lost his love and to murder…it wasn’t something she could bare to think about happening to her. She looked at Max’s retreating form as he led Joseph out of the station. She couldn’t presume to understand the pain Joseph must be feeling right now, the thought of losing someone you loved in such a horrific way, even if she was an ex.

Until she came to Mallorca, she had never experienced love, the joy of someone being there, both platonically and romantically. And she was lucky enough to have her best friend as the one she loved most of all and was loved in return.

If anything happened to Max, she would never forgive herself. And quite possibly hunt down the person who had hurt him.

Certainly, she would punch them. But she didn’t think she would kill herself, at least not before she sought justice.

“Huh…” she muttered, “bandages but no burns” she moved across to her desk and pulled out a file on Roberto Francis.

_Arrested 6 th June. Assault_

_Arrested 20 th November. Assault on boss._

_Arrested 5 th May. Assault, dismal from work._

She skimmed the details as to why he assaulted someone and found his autopsy report.

No alcohol, no drugs, bruises to right and left knuckles.

“Hey” Max said from behind her, “got something?”

“Maybe…what did you think about Joseph? Do you think he was genuinely sad at the prospect of his ex dead?”

“No…not the way he reacted…but there was something between him and Roberto. Maybe Inés was right…maybe it was Roberto and he killed himself out of grief”.

“He had no alcohol or drugs in his system, bruises to his knuckles so…maybe” Miranda sighed, “but I just really don’t think he did it. If you saw him Max, he was so scared, like -like someone was watching him and he got spooked…maybe he worked out who the killer was and knew he was next”.

“Maybe” Max agreed, “oo! Maybe it was meant to be Susannah and Joseph in the flames and when Roberto realised his mistake he killed himself”.

Miranda pondered this and then looked at the evidence they had kept from Joseph. The hair.

“Joseph had a man-bun” Miranda started, “what if he’s got really long hair. So long he keep it tied back”.

“Maybe he visits the bar early, before us at least, sneaks in and sees the bodies, knows he was meant to be working…realises Susannah is dead and flees for his life, that would explain the hair you found on the body”.

Miranda put the evidence down, “let’s go get a coffee…I need to digest this new information”.

* * *

One of their habitual rituals, was to sit in the mid afternoon and have a coffee together, a few weeks into their routine Miranda worked out wearing thick shirts or a blazer was not a good idea. She shed her jacket on her chair and let Max bask in the handiwork of his lips that morning, as she titled her face up to the sky.

Max sipped his coffee, “I know what you are trying to do and it is not going to work” Max smiled.

“I’m not doing anything” Miranda stated, “I am basking in a little Mallorca time”. She looked at him and grinned, “isn’t that what you always drill into me”.

Max looked around and then at her, “making double entendres Miranda?”

“Me? In public? I never would” she smiled sweetly as their waiter brought out their food. Having spent the night at Max’s meant she had failed to bring any snacks from home. And since Max’s attempts at cooking them dinner had led to the bedroom before any food could be consumed, they had to dine out that lunchtime.

Max went for a large sandwich with extra salami and fries. Miranda had opted for a salad.

“You will want more energy than that rabbit food” Max said and gave her half his fries. Miranda began to protest but then she smiled wickedly.

“I guess all that sex we’re going to have will need a boost” she said as Max took a giant bite of his sandwich, which looked bigger than his head so how he managed to take such a big bite was beyond her.

Max moaned, groaning her name as he fought to swallow. She winked and ate a fry, “what? You said I need more energy”.

“Ja” Max started and chuckled, “but you-“ he blushed and sipped his coffee, “you turn me on at every opportunity you know that Schatz?”

“Of course. And I delight in it” she grinned mischievously. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update daaaay

It was always hot in the office, but after an exceptionally long afternoon of staring at the evidence and hoping to find the killer, Miranda was getting more and more frustrated. The heat, only added to her annoyance. The only thing that cured her mood, was a sudden e-mail from the hospital.

After close examination of the second body, they found that the victim’s arm had been broken recently and as they matched dental records they had worked out the second body was in fact Susannah Dena. Miranda had phoned the hospital to confirm that at some point in the past year Susannah had in fact been to the hospital for her broken arm, it had been a waiting game since 2PM to get the results. And perhaps a new lead as to who might want her dead.

“Max, come and look at this. The hospital just e-mailed it over. It seems Susannah had been to the hospital 5 times in the past year with various injuries…ranging from a…broken arm to suspected bleed on the brain after a nasty fall, the last note says suspected domestic abuse”.

Max moved to Miranda’s side of the desk and looked over the notes, “so she was clumsy?”

“Or in an abusive relationship” Miranda said, “what if Joseph was controlling and he didn’t like the way she was flirting with other men and occasionally took it out on her. Things got too much for her, she wanted out of the relationship and he flipped”.

“That still doesn’t say why Roberto killed himself though” Max pointed out and rubbed her shoulder, “unless, maybe she had dumped Joseph and was with Roberto…Joseph finds out and kills her?”

“But why would he jump? If you were killed I wouldn’t kill myself, I’d want justice for you”.

Max sighed and rested his head against the top of hers, “my eyes are starting to hurt from all this paperwork…take a walk with me?”

Miranda turned her monitor off and stood with Max. Holding his hand as she did. He stared at it and grinned.

“What?”

“This” he smiled and held up their joined hands.

“Oh shut up” she remarked and grabbed her phone, “you wanted to walk, walk”.

Max squeezed their hands and they walked down the corridor and away from their desks.

“So…how about this” Miranda started, “Susannah ends it with Joseph and gets with Roberto. Joseph finds out and goes mad. Thinks he’s going to kill both Susannah and Roberto but he only succeeds in the one. Roberto sees him the next day and realises he was targeted? So he jumps because he doesn’t want to burn alive?”

Max shrugged, “it’s possible…but why didn’t he just tell you if he thought Joseph was the killer?”

Miranda eyed the coffee vending machine with a sigh, “maybe she was cheating on Roberto and they both did it, only Roberto knew he could be next so he killed himself too?”

Max grabbed a few loose coins from his pocket and handed them to Miranda.

“Why kill the boss though?”

“Haven’t you seen a picture of him?” Miranda asked.

“No, why?”

“He looks a lot like Roberto…if it was dark it would be easy to confuse the two”.

Miranda handed him over his coffee and sipped hers.

“Something spooked Roberto to jump”.

Miranda nodded.

“Did he say anything that made you think he would back at the hospital?”

“No he just…he seemed really on edge”.

“He had bruises to his knuckles though right? Maybe he attacked someone. We could see if anyone filed an assault charge on him?”

Miranda nodded, “can’t help but think if it was Joseph he would’ve said”.

Max slipped his back into hers and rubbed the back of it with his thumb, “if anyone had hurt you…I would hurt them. No matter who did it”.

“Susannah was abused by Joseph…Roberto finds out and punches him? No…he didn’t have any bruises to the face and he would’ve admitted it being attacked, especially if he was so convinced of Roberto’s guilt.”

“We need to check to see if Roberto was at work on the day of the fire. Check what time Joseph phoned in sick…maybe they met up in the day…Joseph gets punched and phones into work sick…goes to the mountains to let the swelling go down. Gets back and finds his ex dead and his workplace a shell”.

“Or he goes up to the mountains to get the smoke smell from his clothes. Roberto stank of smoke so we know he was near the fire at some point. But for all we know Joseph might not have gone up to the mountains, he could be lying about the whole thing and he really did do the killing”.

Max drained his coffee, “I’ll go check hospital CCTV records tomorrow to see if I can find out what spooked Roberto, did you want to phone Joseph? He seemed keen on answering your questions more than mine”.

Miranda rolled her eyes, “he was answering both of us. You are just giving me the Brit because you would rather flex your charm at the hospital receptionist”.

“Oh no she’s way too scary, I bypass her and go straight for the cleaner…they have access to everything and usually have biscuits”.

Miranda laughed, “okay so you go to the hospital, I’ll talk to Joseph, ask him if he knew why she had been to the hospital…maybe she really was clumsy and it was all just a misunderstanding”.

“Okay but you stay safe, he could be our killer”.

“I’ve got my big girl pants on Max I’m sure I’ll be fine”.

“You have? Because as I recall this morning I don’t think you could find them” he grinned.

“And who’s fault is that?”

“Mine big time” he smirked, “I take full responsibility and possibly require some form of punishment” he held her waist close to his body, “ma’am”.

Miranda blushed, “Max! Not here” but she didn’t push him away.

* * *

Miranda tried Joseph’s number but found it otherwise engaged, she left a voicemail asking for him to return her call as soon as he could before she got to work on finding out if Roberto really had been at work that day.

It didn’t take her too long to pull up the number for his workplace, Manfred Pickers Fields. She phoned them up as Max walked into the office.

“Mr Manfred? This is Detective Miranda Blake from Palma Police. Can I ask you a few questions about one of your workers?”

_“Si, which one?”_

“A Mr Roberto Francis”.

_“Ah him…nice man…keeps to himself, is something wrong?”_

“Well, i-I’m afraid yesterday morning he committed suicide”.

_“I suppose it is always the quiet ones…what did you want to know about him?”_

“Was he at work on Sunday night?”

_“Yeah he was…he does Sunday and Wednesday nights…the rest he does the day…he would’ve been finished around 1AM”._

Miranda looked at her notes, Ernesto had put the fire starting around 1:30 AM, but given the distance from the fields to the bar, it was growing more and more unlikely that Roberto did the killing.

_“Oh wait, my mistake he phoned in sick Sunday…had to get someone else to cover. Last anyone here saw of him was Friday afternoon”._

Miranda scribbled down this new information, “was he at all aggressive with anyone? Anything to make you believe he was a violent man?”

_“It’s like I said Detective, he kept to himself…I wouldn’t have thought he was aggressive but I employ convicts, criminals, anyone with a bad record, so he could well have been”._

“Why do you do that?”

_“Everyone deserves a chance. I think Roberto told me all of his scraps had been defending some girlfriend…her ex wouldn’t leave her alone the last I heard”._

“Did he mention her name to you at all?”

_“Err let me think…she was very pretty…kept looking at a photo of her in his wallet…Sandra…Soph-Susannah! That’s it, she works Sunday and Wednesday nights down at Bar 43”._

“For someone who claims that Roberto usually kept to himself, you know a lot about his life Mr Manfred”.

_“Once you got Roberto talking about his girlfriend it was hard to shut him up. He loved her and he was not keen on her working at the bar I can tell you”._

“Oh?”

_“Well the one who abused her worked there. We’ve got records of Roberto taking a few private phone calls the past month and leaving his shift early”._

Miranda nodded and jotted it all down, “this ex… Joseph Manning by any chance?”

_“You know him then?”_

“We’ve had dealings” Miranda replied, “but thank you for your help it’s been invaluable. If I need to follow up or ask more questions is this the best number to reach you on?”

_“It is…Is Susannah okay?”_

“I’m afraid we believe she was one of two victims involved in an arson attack on Bar 43 in the early hours of Monday morning”.

Once Miranda had hung up the phone she rubbed her temples and eyed Max, “what?”

“Nothing” he sighed, “the nice cleaner was off today I couldn’t get the CCTV” he pouted.

“Didn’t you ask the receptionist? You are a police officer after all” Miranda pointed out.

“Ja but she said I would have to wait till tomorrow as there are over 100 cameras in the hospital so they take time to process…apparently they were due for an upgrade but then someone’s country voted to go out of the EU”.

“I voted to remain so don’t start with me on that” Miranda replied, “early tomorrow or late?”

“Afternoon ish” Max replied, “any leads from the picking place?”

“Roberto really loved Susannah and he was angry she was still working at the bar because Joseph worked there”.

“Jealous lover…it’s not hard to imagine. Was he at work that night?”

“No” Miranda sighed, “there’s so many threads, I know we’re close…but every time I’m sure it’s one more evidence pops up to make me believe it’s the other”.

“Look it’s nearly 5…let’s call it a day and go home? Relax…we can’t solve anything when we are too stressed to see the full picture”.

Miranda raised an eyebrow, “we going to eat dinner tonight?”

“I promise to be on my best behaviour. We can even watch a movie. Your choice”.

“Well I don’t have much over here DVD wise but can you drop me at my place to get some clothes?”

“Are we having a sleepover? _Blakey_ ” Max grinned, “and here was me thinking you didn’t want to play”.


	9. Chapter 9

Max wrapped his arms around Miranda’s waist and smiled as she leaned into his embrace. Resting her head against his chest, they had managed to get through dinner without it leading to the bedroom. And after Miranda had stopped by her apartment after work to pick up a few essentials, they were enjoying a movie together from her limited movie collection, _Dirty Dancing_. Upon seeing the title, Max had made a comment about her being a secret softy which she had silenced with a glare.

Max’s hand absently grazed her hip as he kissed her head. Humming along to the music.

Miranda allowed herself to relax against him and she in turn, kissed his chest before moving her lips to his.

He grinned at her, “I thought we were having a movie night?”

“Mmm plans change” she replied and kissed him again, “why? Sick of sex with me already?”

“I will never be sick of that” he grinned and sat them up, “soo bedroom?”

Miranda grinned and shook her head, “shower”.

Max grinned, “together?”

“Have you been good?”

“I’ve kept my hands to myself for a whole hour” he grinned, “even kept quiet about his teaching technique”.

“Like you could do better” Miranda laughed, “last time we danced I limped for a week”.

“That was hardly my fault”.

“You kicked me!”

“Ja because you didn’t move your foot out of the way” Max laughed, “I can dance and one day I will teach you”.

Miranda rolled her eyes and paused the DVD, “presuming I can’t dance?”

“Can you?”

“Play nice and you might find out” Miranda smirked and pulled him close again, backing them towards the shower. Max grinned, kissing her, as they began to strip. Fumbling with buttons and zips, as elbows narrowly missed the doorframes, they soon had one another half-naked as they backed towards the shower. Max pressed her against the door and Miranda grinned, opening it she slipped in and shut it before Max could enter.

“What? Miranda!” Max whined.

“I thought you wanted to be punished?” she remarked and turned the shower on.

“Well ja but I was thinking more of sexy times not you washing yourself and me watching- actually I can get on board with this” Max grinned.

Miranda huffed and opened the door, “stop your ogling and get in.”

“Oh I am content to watch you touch yourself Miranda” he grinned but obliged and held his body against hers, “but if you are insisting” he smiled wide as she shut the door and kissed her neck, “I can lend a hand or two”.

* * *

Miranda woke up with her body wrapped against Max’s, after their impromptu shower Max had lent her one of his shirts and as it had dwarfed her, he had promptly decided to pull her towards the bed.

She had never felt so good or happy in her life than the times she spent with Max. And if she were to tell her past self that she possibly would never have given herself that chance. A chance for love. Max stirred underneath her, and she smiled. Kissing his neck, she whispered softly, “morning”.

Max smiled and opened his eyes slowly, “good morning Schatz. Sleep well?”

“Very…for some reason my legs are very achey…can’t think of why…can you?”

“Well you do run an awful lot” he smiled and stroked her face, “you know I am getting very used to waking up with you in my arms”.

“You do make a good pillow” Miranda stated and stroked his chest, “coffee?”

“Oh now I know we are meant to be” Max smiled chuckled and kissed her head, “let me-“

“Let me? I’m sure I can make some coffee whilst you wake up”.

“I am awake” he pointed out.

“You are…but I need to find my clothes and I don’t trust you won’t hide some more important items of clothing again”.

Max laughed, “oh but you look so good in-“

Miranda silenced him with a look and he grinned with glee, “oh Schatz do that again and I promise” he growled and held her close, turning them over, “I won’t ever behave”.

Inés was starting to grow tired of seeing Max and Miranda enter the office looking very happy and both sporting grins that could be seen from Menorca. However, if her best Detectives were finally doing it she could hardly stop them from being happy. And the office had started a new bet on Max and Miranda, so it was interesting to watch.

Max leaned across the desk and handed Miranda a sheet of paper, Miranda scanned it and nodded before Max took it back. The pair looked across at Inés and she raised an eyebrow as Miranda approached her office.

“Inés, Max is going to go to the hospital to get CCTV records and I’m going to see if I can find out some more information on Susannah from Joseph”.

Inés nodded, “do you need anything?”

“Ernesto Cruz, Max said you two dated” she grinned and darted her way back to Max as Inés took in what Miranda had said.

“Winter!” Inés yelled.

Max looked up and shot a glare at Miranda who smiled sweetly and darted out of the office.

* * *

“I might be a while going through the CCTV so shall we say we have a late lunch together? Maybe at Joan’s?” Max said later that day.

“Finally braving it?” Miranda teased.

“I have to one day right? Besides, it has been an age since I saw Christian and that man practically _lives_ there”.

Miranda nodded in agreement, “okay, I’ll go talk with Joseph, or try to, you go to the hospital and we’ll meet at Joan’s at 2?”

“Sure 2 sounds good…any problems just text me”.

Max bit his lip as his eyes scanned the CCTV from the hospital. It hadn’t taken him long to get the camera he wanted nor to fast forward it to the timeframe for when Miranda had been in the hospital with Roberto. He spotted Miranda sat at a table with what he assumed as Roberto sat with his back to the cameras. They didn’t speak for long so Max sat through the conversation. There was no sound to the CCTV, but Max didn’t need to know what was said, what he needed to know was what wasn’t said, what had Roberto seen that Miranda hadn’t.

As Miranda jolted to stand to avoid the spread of the coffee, he saw a flicker of a man in the top corner of the screen. He clicked for the camera that showed that area of the hospital and he gulped.

“Schiesse” he breathed.

That was killer, no doubt. He knew it in his gut.

Max zoomed in on the man, trying desperately to get an ID.

It was grainy and proved difficult to get a good fix on who this man was. But he could see it was a man, a man with blue trainers and a red hoodie.

Hardly blending in, but they were blue trainers and a red hoodie that Max had seen before.

* * *

After firing off a text to Miranda, apologising for being late to lunch, he turned his phone on silent and approached the bar out on the far end of the new multiplex. It was going to be Mallorca’s latest attraction.

A bar that you could travel to any time in via music. Multiple large rooms, each varying in eras of music. It was supposed to attract the old and young. Appeal to every age. It even had a pool at the back of the bar. They were so sure it would be the next big thing that they had already filled it with water. He knew this would be the place he would find the killer. A bar, with plenty of arsenal inside. Ready to get the residents and the tourists of Mallorca drunk in a months’ time.

But Max knew it would never open.

“I had hoped to see your partner, but I guess…you’ll do”

Max turned around and groaned as a brick slammed into his head, knocking him to the floor. His eyes focused on blue trainers, before he passed out.


	10. Chapter 10

Max groaned as he woke from unconsciousness, his head pounded and his eyes a blurry mess.

“You know, 4 hours is a record” a man’s voice laughed, sending a ringing in his head.

Max winced and sat up, only to find the room span.

“I’m sure your pretty little girlfriend is worried sick, she has been phoning your phone non-stop”.

Max blinked hard, in the hopes to clear his mind.

“Miranda” he breathed.

Max winced as a torch shone in his eyes, his head was yanked back as his eyes came face to face with Joseph Manning’s.

“She is a nuisance…maybe I should tell her where we are…having a little party... we have alcohol after all”.

“Don’t you touch her” Max spat.

Joseph slammed Max’s head down and kicked his chest.

“Boring, haven’t you guessed it yet Detective? I do what I want to do. You don’t get to tell me what to do”.

Max groaned as he was kicked again.

“So tell me Detective” Joseph grinned and looked at Miranda’s name, calling his phone again, “shall I answer?”

* * *

Miranda looked at her phone as it rang out again. Max had clearly got his phone on silent, but seeing his car outside the new multiplex was a start. After he had said he would be late for their lunch plans, and then promptly didn’t turn up. She was worried something might’ve happened to him. She got in contact with Ernesto Cruz. He had told her that his men had confessed they were wary of Joseph and his controlling behaviour. Once or twice they had gone elsewhere for a drink only to receive frosty attitudes when they returned to Joseph.

Suddenly it made her more grateful that she couldn’t get a hold of Joseph earlier for a conversation. But with Max not answering his phone, it appeared that her hope might just be short lived.

She glanced up at the multiplex.

Why Max had gone up here she didn’t know, but he had good instincts for finding people. She tried his phone once more and made her way into the building. Thanking the stars that she had called for back-up… her own instincts were telling her that retrieving Max wouldn’t be quite as easy as she had hoped.

* * *

“Roberto?” Joseph laughed, “you know he’s my boss’ cousin…oh that whole story of Susannah and Pablo being related? You believed it” Joseph kicked Max again and smiled, “you really are the stupid one. I thought it was your friend, the pretty one…but I guess she has the look and the smarts”.

Max groaned and leaned against the wall, his vision was still blurry and he really hoped the ringing in his ears would stop soon.

Joseph gripped Max’s chin, “I am going to kill you…and then, I am going to find your partner, and kill her…of course I might not, she is very pretty after all. It would be a shame to waste that beauty so quickly”.

Max struggled in Joseph’s grip, “don’t you touch her! Don't you go near her!”

“It’s all really on you now Max. Stay still, stay there and I won’t hurt her. Die, and she can live”.

Max stopped struggling, “what proof do I have? What proof of you sparing her life if you end mine?”

“None…but if you love her you’d try anything to save her right? Even burning”.

“Roberto, he killed himself because you promised to spare Susannah a-and when you didn’t he knew he was next”.

“Oo so close, really, you are…Roberto betrayed me you know? We were friends. He told me he had left her…t-that he would break her heart and he didn’t! I used the boss’ likeness of him as a message, beat him up a bit…but he knew what the message said. Kill yourself, or I will. The man was going to fire me anyway…why not finally punch him in the face”.

“Miranda was right” Max muttered, “you went up to the mountains after setting the fire didn’t you?”

“I didn’t start that fire… someone else must’ve done that…but it gave me all the information I needed. Susannah was a bitch and she deserved what she got”.

“Wait…so you didn’t kill them?”

“I wish…but no. I am not guilty of _that…_ someone else set the fire Detective, maybe it _was_ Roberto and he killed himself to implicate me...bastard”.

Max nodded, hoping that the longer Joseph spoke, the more time he gave Miranda to rescue him.

* * *

Miranda could hear voices, or rather the dominating voice of Joseph Manning and the subdued one of Max.

Max would never have come here voluntarily, and so when she heard a groan from Max. She burst into action.

Kicking open the door to her left she saw Max under torchlight, looking bruised and dazed.

He smiled at her though, “Miranda” he breathed. Her heart sang to see him alive.

Joseph turned and grinned, “and so she arrives. I was getting worried”.

“Let him go” she ordered.

“Or?”

“There is no or. Let him go” Miranda snapped.

Joseph laughed, “oh I do like you. So firey...” but he dropped Max all the same. Max groaned and coughed.

“How did you find us?”

“Max forgets to turn off his find my phone” Miranda replied, “after losing it in a hayfield a few weeks ago, I figured he kept it on. Lucky for me he did”.

Joseph looked at Max’s phone and sure enough, in the top corner was a little arrow, signifying the locations were on.

“Foiled by an app” he said and tossed the phone to Max. As he did, Miranda tackled him to the floor.

She brought his head slamming into the floor and tried to control his hands as they grabbed at her.

She ducked them and kept his head down. But one hand grabbed her jacket and shoved her into Max. Moving quickly she stood and slammed her fist towards his nose.

“That’s for hitting my boyfriend!” Miranda cried out. Relishing as she heard a crack from Joseph’s nose. Blood poured out as he cried in pain. Her hand suddenly flared with pain and she clutched it to her chest, whilst with her other hand gripped him tightly by the cuff of his neck. She fired another punch to the man, kneeing him in the crotch as she did.

Max looked at her, dazed and confused, but he was smiling.

“Boyfriend?”

“Well I’m hardly going to call you my booty call!” she replied and howled in pain as the Joseph kicked her shin, in an effort to be free from her.

“You bitch” he spat, “you…you whores are all the same!” Joseph snapped and twisted free from Miranda’s grip. Pushing her back into Max. “I have had enough of all of you!” he roared. He produced an oily rag from his coat pocket and stepped backwards. Towards the cans of petrol and paint thinner. “You always make me out to be the bad guy! I’m not i-I’m really not” he laughed.

Max and Miranda looked at one another.

“You should’ve left me alone. Should’ve dropped your entire investigation! Left it at Roberto!”

Max raised his gun, but Miranda shook her head and placed a hand on his wrist. He lowered the gun as Joseph Manning smirked.

“End game now. Kneel”.

Miranda knelt first, going slowly so as to not to alarm Joseph. Max followed suit and Joseph smirked, “there…isn’t that better” he laughed and winced at his nose. Blood had trailed down his face, making his laughter all the more manic.

“I’ll give you this Detective. You have a good right hook”.

“Joseph, give up. The police are on their way, aren’t you tired of all this? Do you really think they’re going to let you walk out of this alive if you do anything to us?” Miranda stated, “if you give up now it’ll work in your favour, show you cooperated”.

“I’m not stupid…I’m attempting to kill you both” Joseph laughed, “and I kidnapped a police officer, do you really think they’ll play nicely?” he approached them slowly, grinning as he approached them.

“Do you really Detective?” he asked and knelt before Miranda.

“Yes” she whispered. Shaking now, as he stroked her face. She could feel Max tense beside her, but she willed him to back down. His hand trailed down her body, his eyes darting to Max's. Daring him to attack.

Miranda trembled against his touch. Wanting to punch him again.

“Well I don’t” he laughed and headbutted her. Miranda cried out in pain and Max drew her close.

“You know I had considered tying you both up but…well that’s a bit boring isn’t it. And I don’t think you two will stay still long enough for it to be effective. So, I will give you this…if you can make it out of here alive. I’ll give myself up”.

Miranda rubbed her head and her eyes widened, as Joseph lit a match.

“Of course, this is the only door and well, paint thinner is awfully flammable” Joseph laughed and lit the oily rag, only to drop it beside the cans of paint thinner.

He walked out of the door and shut it behind him. They heard a lock as they both sprang into action. Miranda dived with her jacket for the oily rag, attempting to put it out as Max tried desperately at the door. She shoved the tin of paint thinner towards the wall, hoping it would at least buy them some time. Wincing at the heat of the tin she assumed she had moved it away just in time.

Her jacket caught alight and she scrambled back. Flames flickered and ran towards the petrol which in their haste to get out of the room, had been knocked on its side.

A small wall of flames separated her and Max.

“Miranda I can’t get it open! It’s like, it’s like he’s blocked it!” Max called out.

Miranda stood and looked at their surroundings, hoping in vain to find something that would help them. Max pressed his body to the wall and shuffled his way towards her. He took her hand and stroked her cheek. He kissed her brow, pausing a moment.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” she breathed and stroked his face in return, “what about you?”

“I’m good…well, I will be if we can get out of here” he pulled her close once more, wanting to remove the ghost of Joseph's touch from her skin.

They looked at the flames that had quickly spread to the door, spurred on by the petrol, and was now blocking their exit.

"Fuck".


	11. Chapter 11

Miranda and Max scrambled back to the furthest wall, keeping low as the flames began to catch the floorboards.

“You know I am so glad we had sex” Max started.

“What?”

“Glad we finally had sex. I would hate to die without knowing what being with you...being with the person I love, felt like”.

Miranda felt for his hand and squeezed it, “same, I wish we had acted on it sooner…had more time together”.

“Make it up in the next life?” Max quipped.

Miranda shook her head, “we won’t die. I-I we can’t” she stated, more firmly. “There has to be a way out…there has to, I won’t let us die Max”. She looked at the door, now riddled with flames and her eyes travelled up, she smiled, “bingo”.

“What?”

“Look up” she smiled.

He looked at her and she pointed up, towards a vent.

“Oh Schatz” he grinned.

“Give me a leg up”.

“So, I can stare lovingly at your butt. Sure thing” he grinned and stood. Pulling her they positioned themselves below the vent. Max stuck his leg out and Miranda stood on it, with Max’s help, he boosted her up so she could strike the vent’s lid open. She coughed at the air quality up high in the room, the smoke was rising as were the flames, they had to get away from that room as quickly as possible.

Using her core and Max’s help, she pulled herself into the vent and looked around for somewhere for her legs to hold onto as she flung herself back for Max.

A turn in the vent allowed for such an idea, hooking her foot to it, she used her other leg to give herself balance should her foot move and dangled back to Max.

Max grinned, “hey Spiderman” and kissed her before she grabbed his hand and pulled. They got halfway between the vent and the floor before he fell to the ground again.

“Schatz I am too heavy this won’t work” he groaned, the kicks from Joseph earlier were now starting to hurt more and more, “y-You need to get out. See if you can find a way”.

“No! I’m not leaving you! It will work Max, i-it has to!” she cried back and as he stood reached out for him again. He clasped her hand and she tried to pull him up with all her might.

“I’ll pull you back in” he moaned, “don’t die please, I do not want to be the reason you die”.

“Try” she breathed, “please Max…I can’t lose you” she added, “I’ll jump back in there with you if you dare let me go”.

Max nodded and gripped her arm with his other hand. Crazily, and with curses that would have his Mama spinning in her grave, they did it. Max panted in the vent as the flames reached where they had been sitting on the floor below.

They looked down and then at each other. Max smiled at her and kissed her, “you totally just saved my life”.

“Mm well you can make it up to me by making pancakes for breakfast” she replied.

“Counterpoint, I will make the pancakes and then we will eat them in bed”.

“Naked?”

“Of course” he grinned, “with lots of syrups…drizzled all over your-“

“Let’s work out how to get out before we think about your tongue on my body Max.” Miranda chuckled and looked behind her, “if we go this way we should go towards the other rooms. From there maybe we can get out”.

“Good thinking, because this vent is getting warmer”.

Miranda backed herself into a small ball and began crawling towards the turning she had used to hold herself up when saving Max.

Max followed suit, promptly staring at her butt as he crawled.

“You know this is a great view I have…gives me all kinds of ideas”.

“Keep them to yourself” Miranda fired back and moved left, going further into the vent but crucially, leading them both further from the fire-y room.

After a few minutes they reached a second vent cover.

“I’m getting kind of hot” Max said, “y-you don’t think the fire can get into the vents do you?” Max whispered as Miranda lay on her stomach and tried to work out how to get the cover open.

“It’s a possibility. Joseph is a crazy man I doubt he’d stop at a vent to kill us…besides” she coughed, “the smoke definitely can”.

Max nodded and looked behind him.

Smoke was beginning to follow them, and he knew they didn’t have long before the fumes could overwhelm them. Minutes possibly.

“Kick at it” he offered.

“What?”

“Kick it” he said, “or I will” he said and Miranda shuffled backwards, Max adjusted his position and kicked, firing his legs straight through the vent cover and sending it tumbling to the floor.

“Ladies first” he joked.

Miranda rolled her eyes but sat up and moved towards the room below, “shine a light down first…don’t want it to be a 20ft drop”.

Max got his phone out and shone his torch down. To their relief, it was only a short drop.

Miranda dropped her legs down and lowered herself out of the vent, dropping a few feet and looking back up at Max, “it’s fine. It’s sa-“

She squirmed as arms grabbed her and her mouth was covered.

“Miranda?” Max yelled, “Miranda?!” he dropped himself down and out of the vent and shone his light around the room. He spotted Miranda and Joseph.

“I knew you two would be trouble” he snapped and held tighter to Miranda, “why couldn’t you have just stayed in that room!” although he moved his hand covering her mouth to rest against her throat.

“Let her go” Max whispered, “you said if we got out of the room you would hand yourself in…don’t make things worse for yourself…let her go”.

“I lied” Joseph laughed, “I won’t hand myself in…no way. Your lot would charge me for murder!”

“Let” Miranda tried, “let me go, please Joseph”.

Joseph held tighter and she whimpered, staring at Max, begging for help.

“Let her go…please Joseph…you lost the woman you loved to another man. Don’t let me lose my love”.

Joseph looked at Max, and for a second, he thought he would let her go. The fraction of a second he looked at Max was all Miranda needed. She elbowed him hard in his chest and stomped on his foot.

Joseph yelped in pain and let her go. Miranda ran to Max’s side. Max shone a light for the door and ran for it. Holding Miranda’s hand, she moved to the door handle, but Max held her back.

“No wait…ca-can’t you smell it?”

Miranda sniffed and then looked at the bottom of the door. Smoke was wafting under and a steady orange glow was beginning to emanate.

“Shit” Max breathed and turned around, looking for another way out.

Joseph laughed in the darkness and Max tried to look for him with his torch, all the while trying to find an exit for them. Keeping her safe.

“No way out…I told you, this is the end”.

“No it’s not” Miranda breathed, “it won’t be” she looked at Max, “trust me?”

“Of course” he breathed.

She turned around and felt the door, moving along the edges till she came to one corner. Max followed, back to her, eyes on Joseph. The door was growing redder as was the vent above them.

It creaked as more smoke filled the room. He wanted to sleep. So badly. His head ached and he was sure Miranda wouldn’t mind if he took a little nap.

Miranda’s hand found his and squeezed, “stay with me Winter”.

“No” Joseph suddenly said, “no you can’t no!” he ran for them, but Miranda was as ever, quicker. She kicked an area of the wall and pulled Max through it.

They fell out of the building, straight into the pool below, as the building blew above them.

* * *

Max spluttered up for air with Miranda as the ash from the building above rained down. They both coughed out water they had swallowed before they swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out laughing, clutching one another as the realisation that they had nearly died, dawned on them.

She turned to Max and brought his lips to meet hers, “never go off alone again or I'll have to put a tracker in you” she muttered against his lips and Max smiled.

“Won’t be a problem”.

_Search the perimeter! I do not believe that Max or Miranda were still in the building. SEARCH THE PERIMETER! VAMOS AHORA!_

Miranda and Max laughed at Inés loud shouts. She gripped his hand tightly and looked up at the remnants of the room they had found themselves in a short while ago.

They couldn’t see Joseph in there, but the flames were still flickering.

“He could still be up there” Miranda wondered.

“Ja” Max breathed, “I don’t know whether we should hope for that or not”.

"After what he did to you? I'm tempted to say in there" Miranda muttered. She kissed him again before she pulled him away from the building and towards the front of it, towards the bright lights of safety.

A man was being loaded onto a stretcher, covered in burns but alive. Miranda eyed him and realised the badly burnt man was Joseph.

“Well at least our culprit didn’t die…the families can get some justice I suppose” she said and squeezed Max’s hand.

“He might not make it to the hospital” Max pointed out.

“Good” Miranda muttered darkly. 

“Damn you both!” Inés yelled and ran to them, “I thought you were both dead or trapped underneath all of that stupid idiot rubbish!”

“I told you I could get him out”.

“Yes” Inés stated, before she pulled them into a hug, “don’t you ever scare me like that again!”

Max chuckled, “we won’t…is Joseph dead?”

“Not at the moment” Inés stated and pulled back, “but the paramedics don’t think he will make it”.

Miranda nodded and looked at the ambulance before eyeing Max, “you need to get checked out. And don’t you give me that talk of you are fine, he knocked you out”.

Inés eyed Max and smirked, “I think you both should go to the hospital to get checked over. Then I want you both in my office at 9AM sharp”.

Miranda and Max both nodded and Max looked around for his car. Inés rolled her eyes at Max’s priorities and walked off to ascertain how long it would take the fire department to put the fire out.

Miranda slipped her hand into Max’s, “come on…I am driving, you definitely shouldn’t”.

“You got hit in the head too” Max stated.

“Yeah with a head not a brick, if I can't get out of going to the hospital don't think I'm going to let you get away with it” Miranda laughed. Max stopped them outside of his car and sighed, he looked at the fire and then back at Miranda. The glow of the fire shone on one side of her face.

“Max?”

“Shush” he smiled, “I want to kiss you”.

Miranda grinned and pulled him into a kiss, “I’m still driving” she grinned into the kiss, “and for the foreseeable future, you are on bed rest”.

“No complaints from me” Max grinned.

“Bed rest means bed rest Max” Miranda pointed out.

Max whined and played with her shirt, “you cannot expect me to behave, not when you look like that”.

Miranda opened the car door and paused. Looking at something that had been left on the seat.

“Schatz?”

“Joseph…he’s innocent…”.

“What?”

Miranda picked up the piece of paper and then looked at Max, “look… he kept saying he didn’t do and this is just the proof we need!”

Max looked down at it, “oh schiesse” he whispered and looked around.

Miranda looked at the ambulance, now driving away down the roads, “oh no, stop” she yelled and began to chase after it, “STOP!”

Max followed and as Inés saw them both running she yelled for her force to stop the ambulance.

But everyone’s efforts were in vain, Miranda had barely ran past Inés when the ambulance blew up. Taking the paramedics, and their suspect Joseph Manning, with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you thought it was over? hahaha think again


	12. Chapter 12

Max stared at Miranda going over notes in bed, it had been a week since Inés had closed their case, the unfortunate blowing up of the ambulance had been put down to gross negligence. An awful incident. An _accident._

He had immediately been put on bed rest, which Miranda had seen fit to use some holiday to look after him. To ensure, he actually went on bed rest.

Miranda looked up at his approach and at the bowls of food in his hands, “pasta?”

“Ja, made from scratch” he smiled and placed a bowl on the side for her, “getting any further?”

“Little…Joseph’s visa was running out and since he was about to be fired, his girlfriend had left him, I don’t think he was planning on staying for much longer here”.

“I meant, getting any further with your book” Max said and moved the notes, “I know he didn’t do it…we have proof of that. But we also have proof that-“

“Max” Miranda cut in, “I’m not letting a guilty man walk free. He blew up the ambulance and killed two more people! Someone else is out there, we- we just need to find the link!”

Max kissed her brow and sighed, “they would have left the island by now. Let’s just eat our dinner and then we can finish off that series”.

Miranda looked at her notes and then at Max, at his worried expression.

“You are meant to be taking holiday leave”.

“And you’re meant to be relaxing” Miranda pointed out.

“I am. Being with you, holding you at nights and spending my days with you is relaxing for me”.

Miranda huffed as he moved the notes to one side.

“That note was just faked. Faked by Joseph to annoy us from beyond the grave”.

“Yeah” Miranda sighed, “maybe you’re right”.

Max smiled and kissed her head, “I am. Now strip off”.

Miranda laughed, “I said you are right not let’s have sex” she stroked his head and sighed.

She pulled the bowl closer to her and looked at him.

“But-“

“Ah no Miranda please” Max said, “no work talk”.

“Just one more thing please?”

Max sighed and nodded, looking at her.

“I was once on a case, where the victim looked like she’d been murdered, even down to having her pulse taken and she wasn’t dead. But then we found this tie. She’d cut off circulation long enough to be seen dead to escape. Have her husband arrested for murder and then subsequently attempted murder”.

“Really?”

“Baffled me for days…then she contacted me. Confessed and walked off before I could make an arrest”.

“How had she looked like she had been killed?”

“She’d fallen off a balcony”.

Max looked at her, “what?”

“She did have a head injury, but she had a friend working in the hospital. A cleaner, blood is easy to come by in a hospital, not too hard to fake a fall…cover a victim who looks dead in blood you’re not going to question who’s blood it is are you?”

“No, I guess not”.

“Max can’t you see it?”

Max sighed and looked at the note that had been found in his car.

_He got what he deserved_

“Roberto is alive. He’s alive and he did all of the murders. The bar, the ambulance. Joseph only tried to kill _us_ ”.

Max looked at all of her notes, “you really think?”

“I know it. He might be lying low, but he’s still here, I can feel it”.

* * *

Miranda woke in the night to a chill breeze wafting through her apartment, she looked for Max but found his side of the bed was cold.

“Max?”

She pulled her robe around her shoulders and walked to her balcony. Max was stood there, smoking.

“I didn’t know you smoked” she said and approached him.

“Only sometimes…when I am very worried”.

Miranda took his cigarette and looked at him. His eyes followed her, she pulled it to her lips and half smiled at his look of surprise before she took a drag, “me too”.

Max smiled and wrapped his arms around her as she handed it back to him, “really?”

“No” she chuckled, “but that was worth doing to see your face…what are you worried about?”

“That we have a killer on the loose still…that he might kill us”.

Miranda rubbed his hands, “how long have you been awake?”

“A few hours…I don’t think I really slept”.

Miranda nodded and looked out to the mountains, “he might not want us dead. He might just have wanted to kill Joseph and when he realised he failed the first time. He tried again”.

“Why kill Susannah, I thought he loved her?”

“Love makes us do strange things…he must be incredibly smart to have thought of everything”.

Max kissed her neck, the suddenness of it all made her gasp and arch into his touch.

“I would take on the world for you” he muttered against her neck. He put the cigarette out and turned her around.

He rested his hands against the back of her thighs and smiled at her.

“Would you now?”

“Of course” he kissed her, moving one hand up her body, stopping to squeeze her butt and pull her closer as her own hands moved freely up his body. Curling into his hair and moaning at his touch.

“Max” she muttered, “come back to bed”.

Max grinned and looked around, “there’s nobody awake…nobody to see us up here” he offered.

Miranda’s eyes widened with potential, “out here? You want to…out here?”

“Ja” he grinned, “why? You afraid?”

In response, Miranda took her robe off and laid it down on the floor, “not at all” she remarked and pulled him down.

* * *

Max looked up at the sky and then at Miranda, “I really thought you would drag me into the bedroom…not get down with it” he grinned as she stroked his chest.

“You certainly bring out new sides to me” Miranda admitted and looked at him.

Max stroked a hand up and down her side and she shivered. Curling closer.

“Suns coming up” she murmured.

“It is not the most beautiful thing I can see though” he smiled and kissed her head. He brought the robe closer around them and smiled at her.

She looked at him.

“What?”

“Nothing” she smiled, “just…enjoying life”.

Max smiled and kissed her, “good. I want to always make sure you enjoy life”.

Miranda rested her head against his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath her body, “I have to admit, life is a lot more fun with you at my side”.

Max grinned and kissed her, sitting them up, he wrapped her legs around his waist and the two looked out at the sunrise.

“Life goes on, despite the horrors” Miranda muttered.

Max nodded, “it does” he kissed her neck, slipping a hand below the robe, “I don’t want to see you and your notes today. I just want to see you, naked”.

“Won’t be a problem” Miranda whimpered and gripped him, “but my neighbours are starting to wake. I would really appreciate us doing this back indoors”.

Max laughed, “try and move Schatz me” he grinned and turned them over.

“Max!” Miranda instantly protested, trying to get up as dignified as she could, as she grew ever more conscious that they were outdoors, “Max let me go” she laughed.

“Promise to not touch your notes today”.

“Max” Miranda pouted, “please”.

“You promised Inés you would look after me, and I demand lots of attention”.

“You already get that. Your very presence demands it” Miranda pointed out, “fine. Fine I will not touch my notes all day”.

“Good” he grinned and stood, gathering their clothes as Miranda tied her robe tightly around her body. They moved back into her living room and Max smiled at her, “take the robe off then”.

Miranda dropped the robe and looked at him, “any other demands Mr Winter?”

“Oh ja call me that again” Max grinned and approached her.

“What? Mr Winter?”

“Ja” he grinned, “gets me tingling”.

“In a good way I hope”.

“Oh very good” he grinned.

“So then _Mr Winter_ ” she smirked and approached him, running her nails across his chest, lightly grazing his skin. He shivered, “oh you cannot expect me to play fairly”.

“I can” she smiled, “get on your knees Mr Winter”.

Max kissed her hard, pressing them into the wall, before he kissed down her body, and knelt before her.

He looked up at her and Miranda knew in that instant, her heart was lost to him forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff chapter before the big showdown


	13. Chapter 13

Miranda sat huddled with a mug of tea as Max slept beside her, clutching her body as he did.

She ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head before resting his hand against his neck. She sipped her tea and smiled as Max stirred.

“Mmm…Miranda?”

“Sleep Max” she smiled, chuckling as he pressed a kiss to her thigh, he looked at her with sleep in his eyes. As he noted she still hadn’t dressed they grew more awake with lust.

“What are you doing awake?” he asked.

“Couldn’t sleep…you looked too peaceful to wake up. I thought a cup of tea would help”.

Max smiled, “you could’ve woken me. I wouldn’t have minded” his hand moved between her legs.

“Hey” she laughed, “I have a mug of tea I would like to finish Winter”.

“Ooo you’re calling me Winter. I must’ve been naughty” he grinned and took her mug from her. Placing it to one side he grinned at her, “have I been naughty Detective Blakey?”

“Max” Miranda huffed but he knew he was winning.

Max grinned wider and kissed her, “I’m going to make us some food…enjoy your tea”.

Miranda smiled softly and stroked his face, “there’s some spices left in the top cupboard if you want to make those fajitas”.

“Oh so you liked them?”

“I did” she grinned, “you know what to do with your hands”.

Max laughed, “you are such a flirt…I shall make us food and you stay relaxing in bed”.

Miranda nodded and returned to her tea as Max left the bed, “bring me a book would you?”

“Hey you are not on bed rest I am” he pointed out, “which book?”

“The sleep one”.

Max mock huffed but brought it to her, “anything else your ladyship?”

“Well if you’re asking” she grinned, “a biscuit or two?”

Max nodded and kissed her head before moving to the kitchen. She stared at his butt as he walked and called out to him, “nice butt Max”.

Max laughed and slapped it in a rhythm before grinning at her, “why thank you Schatz”.

* * *

The second Max’s attention was on the fajitas, Miranda opened up a file on her phone, hidden by her book, and began to type.

_Roberto Francis, faked his death after murdering his girlfriend and her boss._

_Joseph Manning had been planning on murdering them, but he got there first._

_Manning spots Francis after going to hospital to check for broken ribs after Francis’ attack._

_Francis hides, hospital staff working that day…the cleaner, nice one Max said?_ _Possible accomplice?_

_Manning kidnaps Max, Francis is watching, hoping Manning takes the blame. Doesn’t have long to plant device to blow up ambulance…_

“Hey you said no notes!”

Miranda yelped as Max approached the bed.

“ _Miranda_ ” Max started.

“Okay fine, I’m sorry” she said, “I just…look it’s been bugging me all day okay”.

“What has?”

“He must’ve had an accomplice at the hospital right?”

“Mmm the one who would’ve supplied the blood?”

“What if it was the one you talk to…the cleaner. You said she was nice but that she had a day off when you tried to see her for the tapes”.

“Ja she is, her name is Dorothea, she has two kids and she – oh Schiesse” Max muttered and sat beside her legs.

“What?”

“She has money troubles, she works as a cleaner and at the picking field. The same one Roberto worked at”.

“It’s not hard to assume he knew she had two jobs, approached her with this idea. Maybe even lied and said he was trying to make it look like he was dead so that both Susannah and him could leave Joseph”.

“I would hazard a guess that once she found out it was Susannah in the fire she realises she has helped to assist a murderer. Probably pretty scared”.

“Do you know where she lives?”

“No, but we could find out…I bet Manfred Pickers have her address listed on file. And they work all through the night. We could go now?”

Miranda placed a hand on Max’s knee, “lets have the food first. We might have to make an arrest and I don’t want to face an angry Inés on an empty stomach”.

Max laughed, “I do not want to face her on a full stomach”.

* * *

Leaving Max on bed rest, Miranda drove herself to Manfred Pickers Fields, opting to do that in case Dorothea was working tonight. As she walked towards the main entrance, she noted there wasn’t a single worker out in the fields. But the floodlights were all on and a digger was being used.

She flashed her badge to the security manager and was granted access to Mr Manfred’s office. She walked up towards it hoping to find Mr Manfred in the room, but when she approached the door she noted that despite the light being on, nobody was at home. Letting herself into the office, she moved towards the desk of Mr Manfred. It was exceptionally tidy with not a single item out of place.

She looked at the computer and turned the monitor on, looking to see if workers files were easy to spot or if she would have to do some digging. Clicking on one file, she groaned as a loading symbol appeared.

“Can I help?”

Miranda looked up to see Mr Manfred. An aging man with a warm smile. His eyes however, told a different story.

“Detective Blake I presume?”

“Yes, Mr Manfred?”

He nodded, “a phone call could’ve sufficed” he said, “or do you prefer to break the law and then deliver it?”

“I’m here about a worker…Dorothea?”

“Who?”

“She also works for the hospital as a cleaner”.

The helpful man from a few days ago, seemed to now only exist in Miranda’s memory, “I think you should leave _Detective Blake_ ”.

“I just need an address or her last name”.

“Really Detective. You have been warned”.

Miranda noted the tone, and at the same moment, the file she had clicked on, loaded.

It was a photo, of Mr Manfred and Roberto. Smiling, having drinks together, with the date the photo was taken being displayed as yesterday.

The door clicked shut as Roberto walked into the room.

“Ah Detective” Roberto smiled, “such a pleasure to see your face again. A drink?” he approached the corner of the room to where a plateau of bottles stood.

Miranda moved with caution, “why did you do it?”

“Do what?” Roberto stated, “kill all those people?”

“Yes”.

“Why does anyone do anything these days Detective” Mr Manfred said, turning her attention to him.

“For money” Roberto answered and smashed a bottle over her head. Knocking her to the floor.

* * *

Hiding in his own backseat, under a pile of blankets, was not perhaps the best decision Max had ever made. Partly because he couldn’t comment on Miranda’s driving without scaring her and potentially crashing the car, but also because he didn’t trust that Miranda wouldn’t be out of her depth.

Roberto Francis was a dangerous man, and so as he watched Miranda approach the main office, and he saw a man follow her. He knew he’d made the right decision in coming along with Miranda.

A few minutes passed and nothing happened. The light stayed on and there were no raised voices.

He frowned as his quiet reverie was disturbed. He looked across at the digger, it had suddenly started back up again.

He looked at it and squinted as he saw a man approaching the digger. He tossed something to the ground, it disappeared into what Max assumed must be a hole in the ground, and the digger began to grab the surrounding soil. Ready to cover up whatever had been tossed to the floor. 

"Oh no" Max whispered as a horrifying realisation flooded through him.

_Miranda had been tossed into the hole._

Max grabbed his gun and began to run.

* * *

Miranda struggled against the ropes as soil was tossed on top of her body. Her head hurt, it ached with more fire than a night of drinking with Christian. She was aware she was in danger, she was also aware that perhaps not calling for back up or bringing Max along was no longer a good thing. 

She saw stars and a man laughing at her from above. She was aware that she was being buried alive. Her mind fought to help her scream. To alert someone that she was in need of help. She couldn’t scream, a cloth prevented much noise from escaping her lips. She needed rescuing.

She needed to be saved.

Ironic that Max was in need of help just last week, suffering from a head injury, and now she was in need of help.

God Max, he’d never find her. She’d never see him again. She was going to die and Max would never find her.

“Max” she cried, half sobbing as she struggled harder. She didn't want anything or anyone else, she wanted her stupid, idiot boyfriend. The soil was growing heavy as she realised she couldn't move anymore.

She looked to the stars, tears fell from her eyes as she tried in vain to move once more.

"No" she sobbed and struggled, "Max".

Saying his name gave her peace, it calmed her. If she was going to die at least she die with the thoughts of Max.

"Goodnight Detective" the man above laughed.

A gunshot rang out and the man above her was gone. Blue lights blocked her stars as suddenly, from nowhere, someone jumped into the hole.

“Miranda!”

“Max” she muffled out before he removed her gag, a strength suddenly flooded through her. He was here, Max was here.

“Max” she repeated, crying now. Max hurriedly shoved the dirt aside, freeing her. He pulled her close, towards his chest as he ripped at the ties, pulling them loose and freeing her.

“Oh Schatz” he breathed and hugged her tightly, “it’s okay…it’s okay. You are safe, I’m here…you are safe” he repeated and kissed her head, “my love you are safe”.

She gripped him tightly and cried, “Max I-I thought…I-I I thought I’d never see you again”.

Max kissed her head again and stayed sitting in the dirt comforting Miranda, as he realised Inés was standing above them. Looking less than impressed, but relieved to see her officers were safe and alive.

Max looked up at Inés, “I know we disobeyed orders…but we finally found the right man Inés…we stopped him from killing someone else and got his accomplice”.

Inés nodded once and moved aside as a ladder was placed for Max and Miranda to use.

Miranda kept a firm grip of Max once they were out of the hole, “d-Dorothea” she muttered, “m-Max…th-the digger”.

Max looked around the field, the floodlights shining down on the earth, showing what had been disturbed most recently. Apart from where they were, nothing else had been disturbed.

Max looked back to where he had found Miranda.

“What do you mean Dorothea?” Inés questioned.

Miranda sniffed, “Mr Manfred said he didn’t know her b-but she…she helped…s-she-“

Max tilted Miranda’s face to his, as he spotted something in the corner of the pit.

"We'll find her" he promised and rested her head against his chest.

He nodded to Inés who looked down, “go home Detectives…I will clean up here”.

Max nodded but as he knew, Miranda was never going to make things easy. She looked down and saw what Max and Inés had seen.

What she had been next to and in her terror hadn’t seen.

A partially decomposed body. Disturbed due to the digger, but impossible to ignore it was a woman that had been buried.

 _Dorothea_.

Max caught Miranda as her knees gave out on her, she had been close to the body. Been close to becoming another _Dorothea._ Max held her tight, lifting her close as her eyes fluttered.

“I got you” he breathed, “I’ve always got you” he promised and carried her towards his car as Inés ordered a team of her officers to deal with the body.

* * *

Max looked across at Miranda huddled in his hoodie and duvet.

“I should be mad” he said as he approached the bed, noticing she had her notes back out again. Disobeying orders, once more.

“How’s your head?” he asked.

“The pains going…my shoulders are going to be stiff too”.

Max kissed her head and rubbed her shoulder, “I’ll be Doctor and play with you all day tomorrow then”.

Miranda chuckled and shook her head, “Max” she smiled.

He smiled at her and stroked the stitches. Getting Miranda to the hospital hadn’t been a challenge, it was the when she woke up and glared at him like he had betrayed her as she got stitches, that had been the problem.

She had her head stitched up, and given some pain relief. The same he had the week previous. She stared at him, wondering if he was being serious. He smiled softly and sat beside her. He pulled her into his arms, “but because of your brilliant mind you found the right killer…and although it wasn’t the ending Dorothea deserved. You raised the alarm about her. But please, can we spend this week with no work?”

Miranda moved the notes to one side and curled against his side, “they weren’t notes about the case Max” she whispered softly, the pain relief slowly taking hold as she yawned. Suddenly free from the pain in her head and having the safety of Max by her side, her body had decided it would be best to shut down and sleep.

Max kissed her nose, “weren’t they?”

“No” she muttered, “s’recipe for vanil…vanilla…biscuits” she finished and let her eyes finally shut.

Max grinned, “then that I fully endorse my love. I cannot wait”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you've enjoyed this! I am working on a few more pics, ranging from finishing unfinished ones to more cases!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's Lockdown 3, gotta bash out the fanfics again haven't I :"D


End file.
